TABLE AND

FIGURE
TABLES AND FIGURES
• A table usually shows numerical values (e.g., means and standard
deviations) and/or textual information (e.g., lists of stimulus words,
responses from participants) arranged in columns and rows.
• A figure may be a chart, graph, photograph, drawing, plot,
infographic, or any other illustration that is not a table
Table components
• APA Style tables have the following basic components:
• number: The table number (e.g., Table 1) appears above the table title and body in bold font. Number tables in the
order in which they are mentioned in your paper.
• title: The table title appears one double-spaced line below the table number. Give each table a brief but descriptive
title, and capitalize the table title in italic title case.
• headings: Tables may include a variety of headings depending on the nature and arrangement of the data. All tables
should include column headings, including a stub heading (heading for the leftmost, or stub, column). The heading
“Variable” is often used for the stub column if no other heading is suitable. Some tables also include column spanners,
decked heads, and table spanners; these are described in the Publication Manual. Center column headings and
capitalize them in sentence case.
• body: The table body includes all the rows and columns of a table (including the headings row). A cell is the point of
intersection between a row and a column.
• The table body may be single-spaced, one-and-a-half-spaced, or double-spaced.
• Left-align the information in the leftmost column or stub column of the table body (but center the heading).
• In general, center information in all other cells of the table. However, left-align the information if doing so would improve
readability, particularly when cells contain lots of text.
• note: Three types of notes (general, specific, and probability) appear below the table as needed to describe contents of
the table that cannot be understood from the table title or body alone (e.g., definitions of abbreviations, copyright
attribution, explanations of asterisks used to indicate p values). Include table notes only as needed.
Principles of table construction
• Make it easy for readers to understand
• Provide sufficient information in the table itself
• Use the same font in tables as in the rest of your paper
• Use the tables feature of your word-processing program to create
tables in APA Style papers. Do not use the tab key or space bar to
manually create the look of a table.
Table borders
• Limit the use of borders or lines in a table to those needed for clarity.
In general, use a border at the top and bottom of the table, beneath
column headings (including decked heads), and above column
spanners. You may also use a border to separate a row containing
totals or other summary information from other rows in the table.
• Do not use vertical borders to separate data, and do not use borders
around every cell in a table. Use spacing between columns and rows
and strict alignment to clarify relations among the elements in a table.
Figure Setup
• All types of visual displays other than tables are considered figures in
APA Style.
• Common types of figures include line graphs, bar graphs, charts (e.g.,
flowcharts, pie charts), drawings, maps, plots (e.g., scatterplots),
photographs, infographics, and other illustrations.
Figure components
• APA Style figures have these basic components:
• number: The figure number (e.g., Figure 1) appears above the figure title and image in bold font.
Number figures in the order in which they are mentioned in your paper.
• title: The figure title appears one double-spaced line below the figure number. Give each figure a
brief but descriptive title, and capitalize the figure title in italic title case.
• image: The image portion of the figure is the graph, chart, photograph, drawing, or other illustration
itself. If text appears in the image of the figure (e.g., axis labels),
use a sans serif font between 8 and 14 points.
• legend: A figure legend, or key, if present, should be positioned within the borders of the figure and
explains any symbols used in the figure image. Capitalize words in the figure legend in title case.
• note: Three types of notes (general, specific, and probability) can appear below the figure to
describe contents of the figure that cannot be understood from the figure title, image, and/or legend
alone (e.g., definitions of abbreviations, copyright attribution, explanations of asterisks use to
indicate p values). Include figure notes only as needed.
Principles of figure creation
• to present information in a way that is easy for readers to understand.
• Provide sufficient information in the figure itself When creating a figure,
ensure you meet the following standards:
• images are clear
• lines are smooth and sharp
• font is legible and simple
• units of measurement are provided
• axes are clearly labeled
• elements within the figure are clearly labeled or explained
• Use graphics software to create figures in APA Style papers. For example, use
the built-in graphics features of your word-processing program (e.g., Microsoft
Word or Excel) or dedicated programs such as Photoshop or Inkscape.
Accessible Use of Color in Figures
• Students preparing a figure for a course assignment may use color
provided that the assignment will be delivered in a format that
supports it.
• But depend on the publication. Eg: grayscale printed, journal
publication.
1. Figure without adequate contrast
2. Figure with adequate contrast
3. Figure with a combination of color and line
styles
4. Figure with labeled lines instead of a
legend
Placement of tables/figure in a paper
• There are two options for the placement of tables (and figures) in a
paper.
1. embed tables in the text after each is first mentioned (or “called
out”);
2. place each table on a separate page after the reference list.
An embedded table may take up an entire page; if the table is short,
however, text may appear on the same page as the table. In that case,
place the table at either the top or bottom of the page rather than in the
middle. Also add one blank double-spaced line between the table and
any text to improve the visual presentation.
REFERENCE
Basic Principles of Reference List Entries
• A reference list entry generally has four elements: the author, date,
title, and source.
• Each element answers a question:
• author: Who is responsible for this work?
• date: When was this work published?
• title: What is this work called?
• source: Where can I retrieve this work?
FORMAT EXAMPLE
Missing Reference Information
• Sometimes the information needed to create a reference list entry is
missing or unknown.
• When this is the case, there are various strategies to adapt the
reference
TABLE SAMPLE FIGURE SAMPLE
MORE REFERENCE EXAMPLE